What to do if you receive a threatening email or direct message as part of a common scam known as sextortion

CHICAGO (WLS) — The ABC7 Chicago I-Team has an alert on sextortion.

It involves threatening letters delivered through email or direct message, claiming to have compromising videos, but they’re scams.

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The I-Team has obtained one of these messages that even some colleagues received.

The FBI says it’s affecting people of all ages across the Chicago area and the country.

Here’s what you should know if you are targeted.

An ABC7 staff member recently received a threatening email containing personal details like their address and phone number. The email also mentioned having a compromising video of the employee and demanded payment.

The scammer says they used malware on pornographic sites to capture video of the victim watching.

“And I’ve got access to all of your emails, contacts, and social media accounts too,” the message said.

They then demand the victim pay up, or they will send everything.

The cost was 1,950 in Bitcoin.

“If you throw out a wide net, you’re more likely to catch more victims,” Chicago FBI Special Agent Ashley Kizler said.

Kizler says the FBI is seeing a surge in sextortion cases.

Individuals engaging in sextortion may not actually possess the claimed images; instead, they might create fake images by capturing screenshots from various sources. Some even go as far as doctoring images by superimposing a victim’s face onto unrelated photos.

“We have encountered cases where the perpetrators edit our victims’ faces onto bodies that aren’t theirs, causing immense distress,” explained Kizler. “The recommended course of action is to save all correspondence, gather information such as usernames or email addresses, and avoid engaging with the sender.”

And no matter what you think they have on you, Kizler says never send money.

“The demand doesn’t stop once they know they’ve been able to get money from you the first time. They will probably attempt several more times,” Kizler said.

Sextortion has also become a growing threat to kids, often starting on seemingly innocent platforms.

“We’ve seen sextortion targeting minors, building rapport with a minor, not necessarily a teenager, then asking for illicit pictures,” Kizler said. “You need to have an open line of communication about this.”

She also says to go over a safety plan and tell them to not communicate with strangers online.

If you get a message like this, don’t respond. Save it, and report it to the FBI at IC3.gov, or contact local law enforcement.